


while I'm some stain there on your bed-sheet, you're my diamond in the rough

by aliaaaaaa



Series: webgottrash tumblr prompts [57]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Breaking Up & Making Up, Gratuitous usage of George Michael's Careless Whisper, Lieb tried so hard to unfuck things up, M/M, Modern AU, These two assholes have too much feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-07-16 05:56:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7255237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliaaaaaa/pseuds/aliaaaaaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They didn’t put label on what they had. For them, they were not everything to each other, but then again, they were <i>not</i> nothing to one another too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	while I'm some stain there on your bed-sheet, you're my diamond in the rough

**Author's Note:**

> an anon requested for Lieb and Web broke up and Lieb would do whatever it takes to get Web back
> 
> here is the sloppy end product.

Liebgott wasn’t one for labels. He never understood the need to categorize everything neatly to their places. It never really was important for him.

Until Webster came into his life.

Webster was the type of person who liked to label everything; said that it helped to sort out his life, had some resemblance of control over it.

Until Webster met Liebgott.

There was no fancy meeting for Liebgott and Webster; they met when they were in college through a mutual friend. There was no sweet flirty words, no long courting. Just shared love for easy banter that quickly escalated to a whole lot of disagreement and arguments on anything and everything.

They didn’t put label on what they had. For them, they were not everything to each other, but then again, they were _not_ nothing to one another too.

But they agreed that there was something there – a weirdly charged energy between them – crackling like electric whenever they were near each other, whenever they started to argue, whenever they touched, whenever they looked at one another.

Perhaps that was why it was so easy for Lieb to fan his fingers on Web’s jaw –cradling his face gently when Web was in the middle of stating his points– before he leaned forward to brush his lips against Web’s; testing his limit, brown eyes meeting blue, _challenging_ Web to do something about it because that was what they always did.

And Web –eyes bright like Lieb had ignited something in him– accepted the challenge; slow sliding his lips over Lieb’s, muffling the surprise moan that tumbled out from Lieb’s mouth.

They kissed like they fought, trying to assert their dominance, trying to make the other yield; teeth nipping on lush lips, tongue tasting like cooper afterwards.

It was so easy to push Web against the wall, to breathe on the soft skin on Web’s neck, to press his face on the warm flesh there; because like this, Lieb could beg Web to take him to his bed; because like this, he could feel the shudder running through Web’s body, a soft groan escaping Web’s mouth when Lieb brushed their erections together.

Sex was the only easy part for them but everything that came after wasn’t so much.

Truthfully, Lieb wasn’t expecting anything to change between him and Web.

And nothing had changed abruptly to be quite honest.

The morning after they slept together, Web had carded his fingers through Lieb’s messy hair before he rolled out from the bed to make them breakfast. They shared the newspapers; Web doing the crosswords, Lieb reading the comic. It felt natural to be sitting quietly in Web’s small kitchen only in their boxers, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, dogs barking excitedly for their morning walks, the sound of cars passing by in the mild morning traffic.

Web had looked at Lieb then, his eyes soft and his smile sincere and when he leaned across the small table to kiss Lieb softly, the latter eagerly accepted it.

It felt like nothing had changed then but everything changed afterwards. They hung out more without the presence of their friends. They argued more. They kissed more. They touched more. They slept together more.

Lieb liked the change and from the way Web always looked at him from across the room, he knew Web liked it too.

That was why when the words escaped his mouth when they were arguing, Lieb instantly regretted them.

_You only stay because it’s convenient for you, Web. This is nothing but something convenient for you._

Lieb knew he had fucked up royally when instead of arguing back, instead of cursing at Lieb for his careless words; Web had looked at him with sad eyes, his jaw ticking slightly like he was holding himself before he whispered, _I’m done with you._

And Lieb never knew the sound of the door clicking shut quietly would sound so loud to his ears, but it did and he knew he had to do something fast to fix this.

Or else he would lose Web and that was not something Lieb was prepared to face.

*

The bouquets of tulips came to Web’s office three minutes after he clocked in. His usually neat and tidy office was suddenly swarmed with bouquets upon bouquets of tulips in deep shade of purples.

He looked at the flowers and remembered the weekend they went on an impromptu road trip. Lieb drove while he napped at the passenger seat and then he was jostled awake by Lieb tapping his nose gently.

_Wake up, sleeping beauty. You might wanna see this._

Web woke up to the scenery of wide field of tulips being presented to him with the sun about to set down, the skies were the color of orange; Lieb resting his chin on his shoulder, wrapping his bony arms around Web’s chest.

 _Beautiful_ , Web had breathed.

Lieb hugged him tighter, nuzzled his neck tenderly and replied, _Not as beautiful as you._

Web remembered the moment clearly because it was the turning point for him. It was the day that he realized that he was in love with Joseph Liebgott, despite the arguments, despite the snarks, despite him not knowing where he stood in Lieb’s life.

He was in love with this irritatingly beautiful and stubborn of a man who loved to rile him up with his words, who knew how to soothe his anger with his kisses, who liked to watch him from across the room full of people like he was the only person that mattered.

Web turned his face slightly to kiss Lieb, pressed their lips softly together because this moment was soft and precious, a rarity in what they shared.

Later, when they were back on the road, he had explained to Lieb about the different colors of tulip and what did they mean and he remembered Lieb catching his hand in his, ran his fingers on his knuckle and said to him teasingly, _You’re such a nerd._

And now – looking at the purple tulips covering the floor of his office, his hand hovering over the pretty flowers – something in his chest twinged slightly because he didn’t think Lieb pay any attention to what he say.

_Purple tulip means undying love. You give it to someone that you fall madly in love with._

“That’s a lot of tulips,” Kitty said when she walked into his office with his coffee. “Joe must have done something bad for you to receive them.”

Web pulled back his hand from the bouquet to accept the cup of coffee and he didn’t reply as he sipped the hot drink.

What Lieb said to him was too cutting that his heart bled. He knew it was partially his fault too for never telling Lieb about what he felt about him, about what he wanted from their… Whatever that they had. But Web didn’t want to push Lieb to do something that he knew Lieb wasn’t ready for.

And now he was hurting.

“Have this cleared out from my office, please. I’m allergic to flowers,” Web said to Kitty in his monotone voice and the brunette didn’t ask any further question but to bark for Sisk to come inside Professor Webster’s office.

(If Webster had picked up the bouquet, if he had admired the flowers and felt the petals with the pad of his fingers, he would have found a card nestled neatly in between the purple tulips; with Lieb’s messy scrawl on it.

_Web,_

_If you are reading this and if you are ready to forgive me. Meet me at the 7th St. when you get off work. I’ll be waiting._

_\- Lieb._ )

*

The flowers didn’t work.

Lieb had anticipated that because Webster wasn’t easily swayed by pretty things that would die eventually.

But he still waited for Web to show up to the little cozy diner they had stumbled one morning after they got back from Toye’s party; drunk and cold and hungry. He remembered they ordered pancakes and scrambled eggs, drank the whole pot of coffee to themselves as the waitress gave them the stink eyes. He remembered Web’s flushed face and happy grin, knocking the syrup container on the table as he waved his hand wildly when he was telling him some story that happened eon ago. He didn’t remember all the words that came out from Web’s pretty mouth, but he remembered the look in Web’s eyes; how bright they seemed whenever Web looked at his way; how his face was reflected in the blue eyes and how that made his chest ached with adoration for Webster.

Lieb knew – always had – that Webster was in love with him. It was the look on Web’s face whenever he looked at him, like Lieb was the morning sun after a long night of darkness. It scared him truthfully because no one had ever looked at him like that, but God, Webster did. And he didn’t want to lose that, didn’t want to lose the one person who thought the world of him, didn’t want to lose the one person who thought that he was worthy to be loved.

That was why Lieb was here now, standing in front of the entrance to the English Department, holding a box of jelly donuts as a peace offering, gathering his courage to go inside and fix things with Web.

When he was about to push open the door, it was already being pulled from the inside and out came Webster, shouldering his backpack and he stopped when he saw Lieb standing outside the door.

Lieb was frozen to the spot.

Two days of being away from each other, Web looked like a wrecked. His usually stylish hair looked messy, his eyes tired and red-rimmed like he didn’t get enough sleep and his face looked gaunt.

Lieb knew he didn’t look like a million dollar too, hell, he probably looked worse compared to Web but fuck – he mentally kicked himself – because he knew he was the reason Web looked so listless.

“Hiya,” Lieb greeted and cleared his throat when his voice broke. Web just stood there staring at him, his expression schooled into boredom like he was dealing with his tardy student instead of his boyfriend.

( _Boyfriend_.

For someone who disliked labels, the word boyfriend came up easily to his mind when it came to Web.)

Lieb fidgeted a bit, feeling unnerved by Web’s vacant expression. “So uh, I bought your favorite donuts. Jelly.” Lieb held out the box to Web who looked at it briefly, and then started to side step around Lieb and made his way to the main stairs.

“Oh c’mon Web! You can’t still be mad at me! I’m here now to apologize to you, aren’t I? Isn’t that enough?”

When faced with unfamiliar situation, Lieb yelled and it usually worked for him but this time Web just turned around to look at him with his blank stare and fuck, he really hated it because it felt like Web didn’t care about him anymore and that just didn’t sit well with him at all.

In a voice so monotonous that it was a mere whisper, Web replied, “No.” and he turned around, leaving Lieb to gap at his back.

 _Fuck_.

*

“I don’t know what else I should do to make him to look at me and listen to me apologize,” Lieb moaned in despair as he threw himself on Toye’s comfy couch.

It’s been 5 days and Web was still not talking to him and truthfully Lieb felt like he was running out of time.

He had came back to wait in front of Web’s office again after the initial cold shoulder from Web, but after the third day, Kitty came out to inform him that Web wasn’t in his office and that he should go home.

Lieb knew she was lying but didn’t push her.

Now he was running out of ideas that could actually work in order for Web to just listen to him for a second in order for him to unfuck this mess.

“You know you’re an idiot right?” Toye rasped softly, knocking Lieb’s shoulder with his knuckle.

Lieb just whimpered like a child because he _knew_ okay?

“I can’t believe you said that to Web. Dude has been in love with you since forever and you went and told him that he only stayed ‘cause it was convenient for him. A+, really,” Toye drawled sarcastically.

Lieb turned his face to look at Toye. “How’d you know he’s been in love with me since forever?”

Toye flicked Lieb’s forehead sharply, earning a sharp “Ouch!” from the smaller man.

“It’s obvious to us, okay? You two were too into deep in arguing that you didn’t notice it. But it was always there, that weird energy you two got going on,” Toye explained. “George made a bet that you and Web would get together eventually and Nix bet on you both actually falling for one another.”

Lieb closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

“I fucked up big time,” Lieb whispered quietly.

“Yeah you do. You can’t hurl careless words to Web and expect him not to feel anything, Joe. You can’t expect him to stay after those horrible things you said to him. It doesn’t work like that.”

“How do I fix it? I’ve tried everything to make him listen but he wouldn’t,” Lieb asked, his chest felt heavy with guilt.

“Go to Nixon’s and apologize to Web again,” Toye suggested and from the kitchen, Luz yelled, “Bring a boombox and play it outside of his window! Sappy song works best when you wanna say sorry!”

It was the worst idea, but it was an idea so Lieb would do anything to try it once.

On Saturday morning, when the clouds looked heavy like they were waiting for the right moment to pour, Lieb put down the boombox that Luz had lent to him below Web’s window and pressed play.

The quiet morning was shattered by the sound of the drum and saxophone blasting out from the boombox, and George Michael’s soft voice crooning Careless Whisper as Lieb looked up and waited for Web to acknowledge his presence so Lieb could apologize to him properly.

_I’m never gonna dance again, guilty feet have got no rhythm._

It was the longest seconds of Lieb’s life as he waited with his belly heavy with anticipation. There was movement from the window and he was preparing himself to shout for Web to come out.

When the window was rudely yank opened, it was Nixon’s head poking out from it.

“YOU GOT THE WRONG WINDOW, _ASSHOLE!_ ”

Lieb swore loudly and he might have laughed too because _fuck!_ Nixon looked so pissed from being awake by George Michael’s voice and Nix didn’t get any more curse words out when Dick abruptly pulled him back inside

“Hey, Lieb! You might wanna try the next window. And sorry for Lew’s language. He has massive hangover,” Dick hollered at Lieb who only waved back and moved the still playing boombox to the next window.

He pressed stop and shouted instead. “Web! I know you’re in there!”

Lieb saw the curtain fluttered slightly.

“C’mon Webster! _Baby_ , please I need to talk to you!”

Inside the guest room, Web was perched on the windowsill, biting his lower lip in an attempt to make himself stop grinning. But Lieb had looked stupidly adorable looking all frantic like that, and it helped when his hair fell across his forehead and in that small moment, with a too clear intensity, Web realized he was missing Lieb.

“Web! I know you are there! I can see you!”

Web pulled up the window in one smooth glide and yelled, “I’m not home!”

That made Lieb grinned and shook his head and it was a good start because at least Web acknowledged his presence in his roundabout way.

“Listen! If you don’t wanna talk to me then at least hear me out okay?”

The curtain fluttered again and Lieb could see Web’s face peering out at him and his chest clenched again.

“I’m sorry for being an idiot!” Lieb started, licking his suddenly dry lips because he rarely apologized but he knew he was in the wrong and Web deserved the most perfect apology ever. “I’m sorry for a lot of things that I’ve said to you to make you hurt but I’m even sorrier that I never told you that you’re important to me.”

Lieb looked up to see Web was watching him intensely.

“I’m an idiot for thinking that you stay because it’s convenient for you. I know now that you stay because we have something amazing going on and I’m sorry for being too afraid to realize it,” Lieb poured out his heart and thunder rumbling in a distant. “I only realize it when you walked out from the door and fuck, Web, I don’t want that to happen again. I don’t want you to walk out from my life ever again because of me being an emotionally stunted human being.”

The rain started to fall down and Lieb continued, “So here I am standing in the rain with the whole world listening in and I want you to know that I fucking love you, David! I have never felt like this with anyone but you. So please forgive me for being an idiot and come home!”

The curtain didn’t flutter this time and Lieb thought, _Beautiful_. Just as he was pouring out his heart content for the first time, Web wasn’t there to even listen to him.

“I’M GONNA SIT ON THIS VERY LAWN UNTIL YOU COME OUT AND TALK TO ME, WEB!”

The rain continued pouring down, soaking Lieb to the bone and he felt so exhausted all of the sudden as he sat down on the grassy lawn; pressing his palm against his eyelids and sighed heavily.

_Maybe it’s too late for me to apologize. Maybe I fucked things up big time. Maybe Web doesn’t want me anymore. Maybe Web doesn’t feel like I’m someone worthy to be loved._

_Maybe I should stop trying._

“You’re an idiot, you know that?”

Lieb opened his eyes when he heard the familiar unhurried voice, the voice that he had missed hearing since a week ago.

Web was standing in front of him in his silk pajamas, the one Lieb had given for his birthday. He was holding an umbrella, and tilting it forward so it shielded Lieb from the rain.

“You’re gonna get sick if you stay in the rain,” Web said and his voice sounded small over the pouring rain but Lieb heard him perfectly.

Maybe it was the way Web stood close to him and shielded him from the rain or maybe it was the bright spark in Web’s eyes as he peered down to look at Lieb; because Lieb looked back at this man who had his heart in his palm and grinned. “Yeah, well I’m your idiot, Web. And if I get sick then you will take care of me like you always do.”

Web looked at the empty street and sighed softly.

“I wanted to hate you,” Web said and Lieb waited for him to continue. “I wanted to hate you so much for saying those horrible words to me. But I can’t. Because I love you too much even when you doubted me.”

“Web–”

Web held out his palm and Lieb stopped talking.

“I should have told you this before, but I was too scared that you might not feel the same way, but Lieb, I love you. I’ve always been in love with you even when you hurt me. It’s unhealthy but God, Lieb, I can’t quit you,” Web said firmly, the lines around his mouth appeared.

Lieb stood up then – his heart hammering in his chest, his body felt cold from the rain – and he cupped Web’s face gently, and whispered, “Then don’t quit on me. You’re the only person that look at me like I matter and I want that always. So don’t quit on me and I promise you I will try my best to make you happy. Because, fuck, Web you make me so happy, you complete me.”

With that, Lieb leaned in to press his cold lips against Web’s and instantly his body felt warmer when Web let go of the umbrella to pull him into a tight hug.

They had kissed a thousand times before, soft lips pressing against each other, mouth swallowing moans and groans and curses; but each of those kisses could never compare with this one because this kiss felt liberating because finally, finally they were being honest with each other about their feelings and Lieb felt his heart soaring up, because he was once again being wrapped by Web’s love and adoration.

“I love you, I love you, _I love you_ ,” Lieb whispered against Web’s cheek, and he felt Web nuzzled his neck and the words “I love you too, Lieb.” seeped into his flesh, traveled through his blood, dipped into his heart; warming him.

Later in the guest room on the cozy bed with the piles of soft blanket surrounding them, after Dick had yelled at them that they would get sick if they continued sucking faces in the pouring rain; Lieb would whisper, _I’m sorry_ and Web would roll over him, press a soft kiss on his cheek and answer sleepily, _I know_.

And for the first time in days, Lieb and Web fell into deep sleep, arms wrapped around each other; their heart beating calmly together.

**Author's Note:**

> first posted on [webgottrash](http://webgottrash.tumblr.com/post/146212170387/joe-and-david-broke-up-but-after-a-while-joe-is)


End file.
